Austria Tackles School Suspensions, Dropouts With Mandatory Mentoring
The Austrian government has announced a new initiative to tackle school suspensions and dropouts. Starting from the 2026/2027 school year, mandatory mentoring during suspensions and perspective talks will be introduced. The goal is to reduce school dropouts and make schools safer by countering radicalization.
The number of suspensions in schools has risen sharply in recent years, tripling in the last four years. Currently, suspended students are sent home without guidance. The new measures aim to address this issue. Mandatory perspective discussions will be held when young people drop out of school after the compulsory school age, with parents required to participate if the young person is a minor. The government will also strengthen extremism prevention to counter radicalization among children and young people in schools. Prevention programs will be developed to detect radicalization at the earliest possible stage, with the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence providing support. The mentoring program will provide both pedagogical guidance to advance learning progress and social-pedagogical guidance, such as through school psychology. The goal is rehabilitation and socialization back into the class community. Parents will have an obligation to cooperate with the mentoring program, with an escalation mechanism including an administrative fine for non-cooperation.
The federal government's decision to implement mandatory mentoring during suspensions and perspective discussions is a significant step towards addressing school suspensions and dropouts. By providing guidance during suspensions and involving parents, the government aims to reduce the number of young people who are neither in training nor employed after leaving school. The support of the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence in developing prevention programs also underscores the government's commitment to making schools safer and countering radicalization.
